Gene Uhi

Tiffany Olsen

Mckenzie Geertsen

Transportation Costs (or Truckers Dilemma)

Math 1050 College Algebra Project
A truck driving 290 miles over a flat interstate at a constant rate of 50 miles per hour gets 7 miles to the gallon. Fuel costs $3.60 per gallon. For each mile per hour increase in speed, the truck loses a tenth of a mile per gallon in its mileage. Drivers get $29.50 per hour in wages and fixed costs for running the truck amount to $12.15 per hour. What constant speed (between 50 mph and the speed limit of 65 mph) should the truck drive to minimize the total cost of the trip? Part I: To solve a problem like this, it is a good idea to start with calculating an actual example. We will begin by finding the total cost if the truck is driven at 50 miles per hour. The cost is made up of two components: the fuel cost and the time cost. Be sure to include the correct units with each value below. Show your work. A. Lets start out by finding how long the trip will take. Distance: 290, Speed: 50 mph 290 = 5.8 50 Color Key: Red Information Needed Green Work Purple Check

The length of time required for the trip is ___5.8 Hours______. (Do not round.) B. Now, with this time known, how much will it cost to pay the driver and run the truck? Time for trip: 5.8 Hours, Drivers pay per hour: $29.50, Cost for truck per hour: $12.15 5.8 12.15 + 29.5 = 241.57

The amount needed to pay the driver and run the truck is _____$241.57________. (Round to nearest cent.) C. Next determine, at 7 miles per gallon for 290 miles, how much fuel will be required. Distance: 290 Miles, MPG: 7

The amount of fuel required is __________

___________. (Do not round. Leave as a fraction.)

D. With the amount of fuel known, how much will the fuel cost to make the 290 miles? Distance: 290 Miles, MPG: 7, Cost for fuel: $3.60 290 3.6 = 149.14 7 The cost of the fuel is _____$149.14________. (Round to nearest cent.) E. Finally we can find the TOTAL cost. Drivers pay: $241.57, Cost for fuel: $149.14 149.14 + 241.57 = 390.71

The total cost for the trip is ______$390.71______. (Round to nearest cent.)

Gene Uhi Tiffany Olsen Mckenzie Geertsen Part II: The preceding process should have illuminated the basic procedure we will use to find the total cost of a trip. Next we will find the total cost if the truck is driven at 65 miles per hour. As in Part I, include the correct units with each value. Show your work. Color Key: A. Lets find how long the trip will take. Red Information Needed Distance: 290 miles, Speed: 65 Green Work 290 58 Purple Check = 65 13 The length of time required for the trip is __________ __________. (Do not round. Leave as a fraction.)

B. Now, with this time known, how much will it cost to pay the driver and run the truck? Time to drive: hours, Drivers pay: $29.50, Cost to run truck: $12.15

58 29.50 + 12.50 = 185.82 13

The amount needed to pay the driver and run the truck is _______$185.82______. (Round to nearest cent.) C. Next, to begin determining the fuel cost, we need to find the mileage (miles per gallon of fuel) when the truck is travelling at 65 miles per hour. Speed: 65mph, MPG: 7 7 65 50 10 = 5.5

The mileage at 65 miles per hour is ___5.5 MPG at 65 MPH__. (Do not round.) D. With the fuel mileage known, how much fuel will be needed for the 290 miles? Distance: 290 miles, 5.5 MPG 290 5.5

The amount of fuel required is ____

_______. (Do not round. Leave as a fraction.)

E. With the amount of fuel known, how much will the fuel cost to make the 290 miles? Fuel price: $3.60, Amount of fuel required: . 3.6 290 = 189.82 5.5

The cost of the fuel is ________$189.82_______. (Round to nearest cent.) F. Finally we can find the TOTAL cost. Drivers pay: $185.82, Cost for fuel: $189.82 185.82 + 189.82 = 375.64

The total cost for the trip is ______$375.64_______. (Round to nearest cent.)

Gene Uhi Tiffany Olsen Mckenzie Geertsen Part III. We should now have a good process for determining the total cost of a trip for any rate of speed greater than or equal to 50 miles per hour. Next is to create a Total Cost function using X as the unknown rate in miles per hour. Your answers below should contain only one variable, X. Show your work. Then simplify your answers and remember to include units. As you work through each step, test your answers by plugging in 50 mph and then 65 mph and comparing with results from parts I and II. A. Lets find how long the trip will take. Distance: 290 miles, Speed: X CHECKS: 50 =

= 5.8

65 =

8 13

The length of time required for the trip is = . B. Now with this time known, how much will it cost to pay the driver and run the truck? Distance: 290 miles, Drivers pay and cost: $41.65 290 41.65 12078.5 = = . The amount of money needed to pay the driver and run the truck is = . C. Next, to begin determining the fuel cost, we need to find the mileage (miles per gallon of fuel) when the truck is travelling at X miles per hour. MPG: 7 50 7 = 10 The mileage at X miles per hour is D. With the fuel mileage known, how much fuel will be needed for the 290 miles? Distance: 290 Miles, MPG: 7 ( 1 ) 290 = 50 7 10 The amount of fuel required is =
( )

)=

Color Key: Red Information Needed Green Work Purple Check .

E. With the amount of fuel known, how much will the fuel cost to make the 290 miles? Fuel Cost: $3.60, Amount of fuel used:
( )

290 50 7 10

3.6 =

The cost of the fuel is

F. Now we can find the TOTAL cost function. Express your function as C(X) = Cost of fuel:
( )

. , Cost for driver:

8.

. +

TOTAL Trip Cost Function is (

)+(

. )=

Gene Uhi Tiffany Olsen Mckenzie Geertsen G. The last thing we should do is verify that this is the correct function by evaluating it at 50 mph and 65 mph to see if we get the same values we have previously computed. . + . = . F(50) = $390.71 (Function Works)_______ . + . = .

F(65) = $375.64 (Function Works)_______ Part IV. Assuming the function is modeling correctly, you need to calculate the minimum cost. Graph the Cost Function and find its minimum point. Sketch your graph here: Have the lower left point represent (50,360). You will need to use a graphing utility to help you find the minimum point. Round your coordinate values to the nearest hundredth.

The minimum COST for the trip is: $374.81 The speed that minimizes COST is: 62.19 MPH. Cost

Color Key: Red Information Needed Green Work Purple Check

MPH Reflective Writing: Your reflective writing will be posted in your e-portfolio along with a scanned copy of the completed project. Your writing will be well written and have correct spelling and grammar. If you need help with your writing, go the the SLCC writing center. You can type or copy your text directly onto your e-portfolio page. If you post it as a link to a file, then the file must be in pdf format. First, write a paragraph explaining what the project was about. Do not assume that the reader knows in advance what you did. Explain the overall problem and goal of the assignment in your own words. In the next paragraph, discuss how the math skills that you applied in this project will impact other classes you will take in your school career. Point to specific parts of the project and your own process in completing it that might have applications for other classes. Discuss how the project helped to develop your problem solving skills. Finally, discuss how this project changed the way you think about real-world math applications. Write at least one paragraph stating what ideas changed and why. If youre thinking was not changed, then discuss how the project supported your views about real-world math applications.